“Catching an L”

It is not uncommon to read an article about Greg Fox, and witness a critic crown him the best drummer in NYC. Of course, there is credence to the title: he is a masterful drummer blessed with a pure athleticism and improvisational grace that few musicians posses. When The Washington Post music critic Chris Richards put him in the same stratosphere as Keith Moon and John Bonham, it made sense. But, he is just human after all, limited to the range of motion and sound the four limbs of a human body can produce. It is why, in his solo efforts, he has become increasingly enamored with the possibilities of using software to rethink what noises a drum kit could make. His new LP, The Gradual Progression, was composed using a new program called “Sensory Percussion,” which hooks up a drum kit to a computer and greatly expands the range of sound those drums can make through customizable effects and electronic wizardry. This marriage of human spirit and technology on new song “Catching an L” introduces a new palette of machine noise that’s as funky as it is fucked up.

Fox’s songs tend to be serious shows of force, and “Catching an L,” from the level of physicality, is no different. His attacks on the snare and bass are rapid and controlled, but the extra textures the“Sensory Percussion” program create are equal parts goofy and groovy. The little noises the software generates sometimes sound like a chorus of robots burping, and at other points like someone throwing a synthesizer down a set of spiral stairs. He’s joined by tenor saxophonist Maria Kim Grand, who helps corral the machine orchestra with jaunty solos that are peppered throughout the song. There’s a energetic lift and motion that gives the piece the vibe of a very screwed up Jock Jams. Which makes sense, since Fox likes to say the most satisfying thing about drumming is hitting the wall, reaching the limits built into the body. With “Catching an L” he breaks down that wall with the help of some computer friends, and the other side looks magical.